1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to a retractable handle mechanism, and more particularly, to a handle mechanism suitable for luggage or the like which employs a novel locking apparatus to ensure positive and secure engagement between the handle and the mechanism housing when the handle is disposed in a stowed or extended position.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Luggage assemblies which incorporate wheels or rollers to facilitate transport thereof in combination with some type of handle provision are well known in the art. There are many patents directed to such designs, most of which have extendable handle locking mechanisms which suffer from relatively complex construction and excessive fabrication costs. The following is a brief overview of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,119 to Huang is directed to a wheel-equipped carrying case having an extendable U-shaped handle which can be stored when the case is not in use. The extendable handle is slidably disposed in large diameter storage tubes mounted on the bottom of the case and locked in an extended position by spring-loaded buttons which pop up through holes in the handle tubing and storage tubing when the handle is fully extended.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,649 to Carpenter et al., teaches a telescoping rigid handle slidably disposed within a tubular sheath attached to a luggage container. Engagement between a stop integral with the handle and a washer on the tube prevents removal of the handle from the tube when disposed in a fully extended position, and the washer provides a frictional fit for maintaining the handle in an intermediate position. The handle is spring-loaded relative to the receiving tube so as to spring back into vertical alignment therewith for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,487 to Plath, is directed to a luggage assembly in which a laterally extendable U-shaped handle is slidably received within a pair of elongated sleeves in a friction fit between an offset cylindrical disk and the sleeve interior.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,590 to Carpenter et al., teaches a frame for luggage which includes a pull handle assembly having a pull handle slide which is affixed to the main frame by a triangular shaped bracket, a molded plastic rectangular pull handle which slides in the pull handle slide in a vertical direction and a flat spring attached to an oblong-shaped transverse bar of the pull handle. A spring clip is employed to receive and hold the pull handle in an extended position, and the user can rotate the handle to the desired angle of inclination for pulling the luggage on a pair of wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,306 to Carrigan, Jr., is directed to a combined luggage and cart apparatus in which a U-shaped handle cooperates with a pair of sleeves respectively disposed in a pair of elongated legs and a pair of split rings insertable through the sleeves and held captive on the handle. The sleeve includes a locking tab to engage the leg and the split ring engages the sleeve when the handle is placed in use.
Other patents directed to handles for luggage include U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,289 to Pond et al., in which a carry-on case has a built in telescoping handle assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,365 to Gregg et al., in which a luggage case has a handle assembly foldably received into a sidewall of the case; U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,005 to Fontana, in which a handle is pivotally disposed relative to a case and stored vertically against the side of the case; U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,925 to Maloney, in which a pivoting retractable handle assembly is storable against the side of a suitcase; U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,579 to Bieber et al., wherein a rigid handle is slidably disposed within a sheath disposed within the case interior similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,649 to Carpenter et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,259 to Bergman, in which an aircraft carry-on bag is provided with a generally U-shaped handle pivotally attached to one corner and storable against the exterior thereof.